This is how to be a good man, according to a few good men

This is how to be a good man, according to a few good menThis is how to be a good man, according to a few good men2018 has been a whirlwind year for social change. As the MeToo movement has manifested and matured, its spread beyond headlines to ripple through offices across the country. Its raised awareness about workplace sexual misconduct, but experts say its also sparked unwanted backlash from men who do not fully understand what the movement means.In this environment, where everyones more hyper-aware than ever about how they behave around their colleagues, advocates keep emphasizing how important it is to bring men into the conversation. Its not enough for women to talk to women, they say. Its time for men to once again have a seat at the table, this time for a discussion thats largely about them.In that vein, Quartz at Work focused the furth issue of its How Well Win series on the other half of the population - men. Through interviews with 50 prominent guys in tech, law, politi cs, entertainment and other industries, Quartz got to the core of what it means to be a man in the 21st century, and how men can be better allies.Here are some of the best quotes from that projectKaramo Brown, Queer EyeThe biggest threat to men istoxicmale behavior that stops them from fully respecting themselves and others. Its time that men startunderstanding we are stronger as humans when wesupport and respect each other. And that gender norms or idealizedgenderspecificbehavior is destructive tous all because its limiting. Men can and should be expressive,emotional, vulnerable, respectful,strong, and providers as women are all those things as well.Paul Feig, directorYou know, the most toxic thing that I hear all the the time from very well-meaning people is when I say, We need to get women on the crew wherever we can. And people will always say to me, But we also have to make sure we get the best people for the job. And I find that terrible, because what theyre saying is, Oh we k now you want to meet your inclusion riders, but we cant get somebody whos not good for the role. And its like, why the (expletive) would I possibly hire somebody whos not good for the role?Its such an onerous, kind of innocuous way to further the sexism because its saying that Im somehow going to compromise and not hire somebody whos great, which I would not do because theres so many great women out there. It doesnt do me any good if I hired somebody who was not great for the job.fruchtfleisch Suster, venture capitalistEvery time I pen an article, I am deeply criticized by a small minority of women who either think my tone is off, or I am too clueless of male predatory behavior, or that I am inadvertently infantilizing women, in their view. Honestly, it stings to read these criticisms. What I want to tell men is that however badly it feels to be criticized for speaking up, you should empathize with what it must feel like to be a woman who speaks up against a powerful man. Knowing ho w badly those women, from Anita Hill to Rose McGowan, have been treated for coming forward, and that any small injustice you face pales in comparison, should motivate you to get over your personal sensitivities and speak up.Cory Booker, New Jersey senatorWhile most men dont have first-hand experience with gender-based discrimination, we can still be powerful allies for advancing womens rights. We need to do a better job of listening to women and standing up for whats right, even when its not popular or comfortable.Ayo Sogunro, human rights lawyer and authorI avoid nominally kennzeichnung myself as a feminist because I think labeling tends to imply ownership of an experience and- in the case of men- this creates a risk of driving and leading a conversation that is not primarily about mens experiences.Darren Walker, Ford Foundation presidentThe Me Too movement has really underscored for me the courage it takes to speak truth to power- and the necessity of it. So many of the women who have stood up and told their stories have done so despite serious personal risk, and have faced some really disturbing, and at times discouraging, backlash. Thats heroic. Its through that kind of bravery that change happens. Its incredibly important for men to stand with women as allies, to show that gender-based inequality is everyones problem, and fixing it is a collective responsibility.Tom Perez, Democratic National Committee chairEfforts to achieve gender equality are not some sort of an attack on men. The irony for men is that they balk at such efforts to their own detriment. When we talk about womens issues, were really talking about finding solutions that make our society better as a whole. Gender pay inequality hurts families and our economy. Lack of access to family leave, reproductive health care, child care- that doesnt just hurt women, it hurts working families everywhere, including the men who belong to them.Ezra Klein, Vox founder and editorWhat I didnt understand be fore MeToo was the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and sexual fear that acted as a weight on women all the time, that made simply existing safely in the workplace an effort that men didnt have to put in and often didnt see.Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founderAfter we defeated the Stop Privacy Online Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Privacy Act (PIPA), I thought about running for office, and two of the most powerful men in the country told me (separately) that this country needs more women in positions of power, and that if I really wanted to make a difference, I should be working to help get the very best women into those roles.Leadership means knowing when to lead and also when to follow. There are opportunities for us to be great leaders in our society by recognizing and empowering the best among us.